Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| п'я́ний | pʺjányj | |
| бухи́й | buxýj | slang |
| ме́кнутий | méknutyj | slang |
| нали́ганий | nalýhanyj | |
| нетвере́зий | netverézyj |
These terms are used to describe someone who is intoxicated after consuming too much alcohol. While most forms act as adjectives to describe a state of being, some related words function as nouns to describe a person who drinks habitually.
Which one should you use?
The term п'я́ний is an adjective used to describe the state of being intoxicated. In contrast, the noun п'я́ниця refers to a person who is a habitual drinker or a drunkard.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For highly informal or slang situations, you may use бухи́й to mean "wasted" or ме́кнутий.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective п'я́ний changes its form based on the gender and number of the subject: use п'я́на when describing a female subject and п'я́ні when describing multiple people.
How do you pronounce it?
pʺjányj
Did you know?
- To describe someone as 'dead drunk' in some regional dialects, Ukrainians use the phrase в дрова, which literally translates to 'in wood'.
- The slang term бухи́й comes from the word бух (buk), which is an onomatopoeic sound used to describe the heavy thud of a falling body or the sound of a large gulp of liquid.
- The term нетвере́зий is a negation of твере́зий ('sober'), and in formal settings, using this negative form is considered more polite and euphemistic than saying someone is 'drunk'.
Example sentences for Ukrainian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Olena and Andrii are discussing a mutual friend at a party.
- Олена OlenaТи бачив Максима? Він занадто п'я́ний.Ty bachav Maksyma? Vin zanadto p'yanyi.Have you seen Maksym? He is too drunk.
- Андрій AndriiТак, він ледве стоїть на ногах.Tak, vin ledve stoit na nohakh.Yes, he can barely stand on his feet.
- Олена OlenaТреба допомогти йому дійти до таксі.Treba dopomohty jomu diity do taksi.We should help him get to the taxi.
- Андрій AndriiЗгоден, пішли разом до нього.Zhoden, pishli razom do nioho.I agree, let's go to him together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drunk” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
